Karl Haas
Born: December 27, 1900 - Karlsruhe, Germany
Died: July 7, 1970 - London, England
The German conductor and musicologist, Karl (Wilhelm Jacob) Haas, studied at the Classical College of Karlsruhe, at the Universities of Munich and Heidelberg, and with Professor Herman Roth.
After finishing his studies, Karl Haas worked as Music Assistant at the Dumont Theatre in Düsseldorf; then as Music advisor for Karlsruhe and Stuttgart radios. He was active as collector of valuable early instruments. He made microfilms of early music. In 1939 he emigrated to England. In 1943 (or 1941) he organised the London Baroque Ensemble, and led it until 1966 in performances of little-known Baroque music. He appeared with them in concerts, broadcasts and recordings. Formerly he was Music Drector of Old Vic in Bristol, anf gave the first performances of Strauss Wind Music. Recordings: with Westminster, Parlophone and Pye.
Dorothy Bond
Born: 1921 (?) - England
Died: November 1952
The English soprano, Dorothy Bond, studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music in London. But her innate desire was to be a singer, and certainly there was every indication that she possessed the makings of a voice of extraordinary range. However, the senior female singing professor of the time told her that she must be patient, and that she would not touch such a delicate vocal instrument until Dorothy was twenty years old. Professor Evelyn Langston proved to be right, and produced in Dorothy Bond an utterly amazing coloratura soprano - so amazing indeed that Thomas Beecham and she worked with him in many of his concerts. She was a well-known coloratura in the late 1940's and early 1950's, whose purity of tone had established her reputation on the concert platform; she was also an accomplished pianist. In 1951 she married the violin virtuoso Tom William Jenkins (1910-1957). They had one son. Unfortunately their partnership was tragically cut short in November 1952 when Dorothy was killed in a car accident when she was only thirty-one years of age.
Robert Irwin
Born: September 20, 1905 - Dublin, Ireland
Died: 1983
The Irish tenor, Robert Irwin, sang as an amateur at various music festivals in Ireland and won Gold Medal at a singing competition there in 1930.
Following that he had given concerts in Dublin and broadcasts in the Irish Radio. With the help of the famous Irish tenor John McCormack he could travel in 1937 to the USA and started then a professional singer career. He studied in London with George Reeves and appeared before the public there in concerts and in particular in Lieder recitals. During the years of World War II, he could be heard in the "National Gallery Concerts" in London, which were organised by Myra Hess. He also sang as a soloist in oratorios and sacred vocal works, however remained interpreter primarily a well-known Lieder interpreter. He participated repeatedly in broadcasts of the English Radio BBC. After his active singer career was over, he immigrated to Canada and received a Professor (Supervisor of Vocal Studies) at the University of Manitoba. He was married with the pianist Vera Stewart.
Cantata BWV 152 'Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn'
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
Soprano: Dorothy Bond Baritone: Robert Irwin
London Baroque Ensemble
Conductor: Karl Haas
Rec.: 1951
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